1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a folding container and in particular to but not exclusively to a packing case, a shipping crate or a freight container.
2) Description of the Related Art
Containers are required for a variety of purposes and, in many circumstances, such as moving automotive parts or possessions between houses or flats and in the case of mobile offices, it is necessary for the container to be sufficiently sturdy to protect the container contents from damage when it is moved or accidentally knocked. However, such a container is unlikely to be in constant use, and as a result it would be advantageous if it could be stored in a flat condition when it is not required.
Containers having opposing side walls which fold onto a base panel have been described in DE 1 144 178 and DE 2 139 147.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,271 relates to a collapsible receptacle having inwardly and outwardly directed projections on a base panel frame and sidewalls. The outwardly directed projection of the sidewall overlaps the inwardly directed projection of the base panel frame to maintain the receptacle in the assembled non-collapsed condition such that a tilting of the sidewalls is necessary to raise the sidewall.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,830 describes a container having top and bottom members, and columnar members which are received in the top and bottom members when the container is in the assembled condition. When the container is disassembled the columnar members and side members may be stored inside the top and bottom members which are jointed together so that the disassembled container forms an integral unit.
A collapsible container is described in EP 1 028 061 having side panels associated with a base panel and movable between a collapsed and an assembled condition. The container is releasably retained in the assembled condition by side supports engaging adjacent side panels, the side supports comprising upright members demountably secured to the base panel and received and retained by a receptacle secured at or adjacent to the corners of the base panel.
There remains, however, a need for a compact, economical folding container design which can be readily converted from a folded to an unfolded state and which is adaptable for industrial use e.g. in shipping and intermodal containers.